Recent donations put Avera near fundraising goal for cancer center

August 24, 2013

MARSHALL - Three businesses and a regional organization have joined the ranks of donors to Avera Marshall Regional Medical Center's capital campaign for a cancer treatment center.

Avera Marshall announced this week that Norwegian Mutual Insurance Company of Cottonwood and Hope Mutual Insurance of Tyler each donated $25,000 to the campaign. Prairie Pride Cooperative and the Southwest Initiative Foundation each donated $10,000.

"These recent donations bring us even closer to the goal of being able to break ground for a project that will make a huge a difference in getting cancer care locally," said Marty Seifert, executive director of the Avera Marshall Foundation. "The Avera Cancer Institute will be a place of hope and healing, and we are grateful to all donors."

Including the recent donations, the capital campaign is now about $297,000 away from its $5.45 million goal.

"We are getting very, very close," Seifert said. However, support from people in the region is needed now more than ever. Fundraising efforts have intensified in the past few weeks, he said.

If the campaign reaches its goal, ground will be broken for the Avera Marshall Cancer Institute this fall. The institute will offer radiation, chemotherapy and other treatments for cancer and serve a region covering several counties in southwest Minnesota. Construction costs are estimated at a total of $12.95 million. Funding sources include $7 million set aside by the city of Marshall after the sale of the municipal hospital to the Avera health system. That money was earmarked for the development of an oncology department at the hospital.

"We felt the goal can be reached by a combination of large, medium and small donations, pooled together," Seifert said. He said support for the project has remained strong, especially as area residents have learned that they can make smaller donations and still make a difference. The ability to make a pledge spread out over more than one year is also an option.

Businesses and individuals wishing to donate, or find out more about the capital campaign for the cancer institute can contact Seifert at 507-537-9145.